"Today, January 2, 1997, I want to announce my retirement from professional cycling." Almost 23 years ago, Miguel Indurain spoke in Pamplona the words of his goodbye to the competition. He had won the Tour five times and twice the Giro, but that 96, despite the Olympic gold, was not what he expected.

Although the Navarrese never got off the bike altogether - he has continued to participate in massive cycling tours, such as Mallorca 321, among others -, now, at age 55, he has embarked on a new adventure with two wheels, nothing less than the next edition of the Garmin Titan Desert .

The mythical mountain bike test in the Moroccan desert, which is 15 years old , will be held from April 19 to 24, 2020. The goal of Indurain, which will run on the KH-7 team and, precisely, will carry the number 15 , will be "try to finish it".

His little experience with MTB does not seem like a major impediment. " The Titan is more than rolling . The one that comes from the road has it a little easier. Although there are always technical points, dunes and navigation, and for that I hope they teach me how to do it." For that learning, Indurain will have Melcior Mauri - with whom he competed from you to you for the 1991 Tour of Spain -, who will act as director and partner in the KH-7, as it was in Banesto.

"I had several years with the idea, Melcior always told me. I replied that it was not the time, but this year has convinced me . It will be a new experience," said Villaba. That he will not be the only professional cyclist who has ventured into the Titan after his career. Abraham Olano, Laurent Jalabert or Claudio Chiapucci have already played the race between the dunes. "Olano and others have told me about the race. They had a great time. It's tough and you have to get in good condition because you have a hard time. It's a challenge, like when I was doing a great test."

In the KH-7 team, Indurain will have top classmates. For example, the winner of the last four editions, Josep Betalú . Or Sylvain Chavanel, who will repeat after winning a stage last edition. Everyone will face the heat and the dunes, sleep with the rest of the participants in the jaimas of the camp and enjoy a test that this year, for Ramadan, advances its calendar.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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